Synthetic biology workshops are still rare in many local communities. To help change that, we created a practical handbook for event organizers. It is filled with activities and step‑by‑step instructions to bring synthetic biology education to schools and communities around the world.
The handbook designed by CityU iGEM team member Jocelyn Andrea Madolen offers activities tailored to different age groups, from kindergarten to secondary school. For younger children,
for example, we include fun arts and crafts projects that introduce basic biology concepts like DNA and cells. This is an approach we have successfully used in our own workshops.
Explore synthetic biology through hands‑on fun! The handbook features six engaging activities, from building a DNA helix with marshmallows and biscuits to creating a playdough cell model. You can extract real DNA from fruit, design your own glowing microbe, fold a paper DNA helix, and try online lab simulations. Perfect for classrooms or curious young scientists, these activities make learning about genes, cells, and genetic engineering both tasty and creative.
To reach as many people as possible, we translated the handbook into six languages: Russian, Korean, Indonesian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese. Each activity comes with a clear list of materials and detailed procedures, making it easy for organizers to prepare and run a workshop.
Our goal is to lower the barriers for organizing synthetic biology events and to spark curiosity in students of all ages, no matter where they are.
This is a snippet from our Paper Genes activity where kids learn DNA basics, play mini‑games about inheritance, and finish with a hands‑on paper folding art project.
Want to see the full instructions and more fun activities? Download the complete handbook!